Svein Arne Hansen, the new European Athletics President, has today made good on his intention to include more women in the organisation in announcing the names of the 14 females appointed to Commissions following last weekend’s Council meeting in Oslo.

European Athletics’ new President Svein Arne Hansen has welcomed the Council’s approval of his plan to restructure the organisation’s Commissions – a key part of his election campaign – at the conclusion of its meeting in Oslo, where Hansen, meet director of the Bislett Games for 24 years, has also played a key part in the celebrations of the meeting’s  50th Anniversary.

Awarding hosting rights for two championships and a new structure for European Athletics’ commissions will top the agenda during a landmark occasion for the sport this weekend here when President Svein Arne Hansen welcomes the Council to his home town for its first full meeting since its election in April.

Brendan Foster and Sebastian Coe are among those who have welcomed the European Athletics initiative in launching a new set of guidelines for runners and organisers involved in the increasingly popular phenomenon of road races across its 50 member federations, entitled “Running for All”.

European Athletics has announced that SPAR International, a sponsor of its major events since 1996, has renewed its International Partnership for a further three years, from 2017-2019.

The International Canoe Federation (ICF) has announced an exclusive partnership with Swiss-based marketing and commercial rights specialists Tridem Sports as it looks to increase the profile and sponsorship engagement of its top-level events.

Svein Arne Hansen, newly elected President of European Athletics, said he had had a “good, frank conversation” with Patrick Hickey, his counterpart at the European Olympic Committees (EOC), in talks which will help shape the future presence of athletics in the European Games.

European Athletics has announced the creation of a “European Athletics Marketing” company to boost its revenues.

Svein Arne Hansen, the newly-elected President of European Athletics, has claimed he is fully supportive of the model for the 2018 European Sports Championships, which will be held in Glasgow and Berlin.

Simon Clegg, chief operating officer of Baku 2015, described new European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen’s comments regarding the prospect of athletics appearing in future European Games as a “great comfort” here today.

Svein Arne Hansen, the new European Athletics President, is starting a process of “radical changes” – one of which might be a new style of competition to represent his sport at the European Games.

Svein Arne Hansen’s first speech as European Athletics President - delivered at  the Congress in Bled where he was voted in as successor to the longstanding appointee Hansjörg Wirz - went down well, with a ripple of laughter greeting his sign-off statement:

“I said I didn’t want people just to be involved, I wanted them to be committed,” Hansen recalls. “My final line was that it was like eggs and bacon - the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed.”

At the age of 68, with just one four-year term allowed to him to make his mark, Hansen is determined to make the most of a position he sought four years ago before losing by 28 votes to 22 to the Swiss who has just relinquished his post after 16 years in office.

Svein Arne Hansen, narrowly beaten in the last European Athletics Presidential election, achieved his aim at the Congress in Bled today as he was voted in as replacement for the outgoing Hansjörg Wirz, who has been in office since 1999.

European Athletics will have a new President for the first time since 1999 tomorrow as its annual Congress, taking place this year in Bled, Slovenia, votes on which of three men will replace Hansjörg Wirz.

Svein Arne Hansen, who appears a strong prospect to be voted in as the new European Athletics President this weekend in succession to 71-year-old Hansjorg Wirz, has said talks to clarify the position of his sport with the European Games would be a priority for him if he is successful in his bid.